HARTFORD, Conn. — The Connecticut Department of Public Health is urging parents to have their children tested for lead and to check their homes for lead hazards, as part of National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, Oct. 25-31.

"Lead poisoning is preventable, and there is no safe level of lead for children," Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani said in a statement Monday. "A child with lead poisoning may not show any visible signs and can look healthy."

Juthani said parents should talk to their child's doctor about a blood lead test, especially if the child may have been exposed. State law requires children to be tested every year between 9 and 35 months of age, the group at highest risk, she said.

The department said a blood test is the only way to know whether a child has lead in the blood, because most children with lead poisoning look and act healthy.

The department also encouraged families to look for lead sources at home, including lead-based paint, lead dust, soil and lead service lines. Lead paint in homes built before 1978 is the most common source of lead exposure for children in Connecticut, according to the department.

In 2025, Connecticut lawmakers lowered the blood lead level that triggers a home inspection by a local health department from 10 to 5 micrograms per deciliter, a change the department said allows earlier intervention.

The national campaign's theme is "Keep Kids Safe From Lead." The department said families with questions about testing should contact their local health department.

This brief was drafted by AI from a public agency or political press release and published by The New England Signal. Why we use AI for stories like this one.